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CNET Editors' Rating

The GoodWipeout is a truly unique platformer with great-looking graphics, a fun game-show atmosphere, and challenging obstacle courses.

The BadYou'll end up playing the first few levels several times to earn money. Some screens are slow to load, which is bad for a game that players will repeatedly restart.

The Bottom LineIf you like the popular TV show "Wipeout" or just want a platformer that's different from the rest, grab Wipeout for a fun diversion that challenges you, looks great, and makes you laugh while you play.

Review Sections

Wipeout is a unique platformer for iOS based on the TV game show of the same name. In this game you're challenged to compete against AI opponents as you jump, dive, and run through an unforgiving obstacle course. But making a mistake and wiping out is half the fun in this game because slamming into obstacles and bouncing into the water below is as hilarious as it is brutal.

The game uses swipe controls pretty effectively, so rather than having an onscreen game pad, you'll just swipe and hold in a direction on the left side of the screen to move left and right. You can tap the right side of the screen to jump over obstacles or tap and swipe down to dive. I found the controls a little hard to pick up at first, but with some practice, maneuvering became second nature.

Wipeout has two game modes: participating in the show, and time trials. When you enter the show, the game puts you through an audition, in which you'll learn the ropes on how to jump and maneuver through some basic obstacles. Next you'll need to qualify on a course competing against a large field of contestants to get on the show. In the next challenge you'll need make it into the top three to move on, and then the contestant who completes the final obstacle course in the shortest amount of time wins the competition and cash.

Once you earn some cash you'll be able to buy new helmets that give you various perks on the obstacle course. Before each round, you'll be able to select and purchase helmets that give you an onscreen button to jump higher, run faster, or other useful things. You only get one chance to use your helmet's special perk, so you'll need to time it for the right moment in the course. When you earn some more coins, you can purchase additional uses for a maximum of three for one course.

Wipeout comes with four "shows," each with three obstacle courses you'll need to complete with the best time to win. The level-select screen shows two more spaces for new shows that are "coming soon," and the developers promise the updates will come free of charge. The only problem is that to unlock a show costs coins, and it seems that the developers have made the last two of the four available shows quite expensive to make up for the missing promised updates. This means you'll spend a lot of time replaying the first two challenges to make enough to unlock the third. The game is fun, so it's not a big annoyance mastering the levels, but be aware that you'll be repeating shows several times. It's important to note that you also can earn cash running courses for time in the Time Trials mode, so switching modes doesn't keep you from advancing in the game.

Overall, Wipeout is fun and truly different platform game. The challenging courses, the brutal flips and falls into the water, and the addition of helmets keep the game interesting, but there is a certain amount of grinding to progress. If you like platform games or like the "Wipeout" TV show, I recommend that you check out this fun and funny game.

Jason Parker has been at CNET for nearly 15 years. He is the senior editor in charge of iOS software and has become an expert reviewer of the software that runs on each new Apple device. He now spends most of his time covering Apple iOS releases and third-party apps.
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